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little-annie · 1 year

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Ghostly

Steddie | Little_Annie | Ao3

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It started with whispers so faint he could have sworn they were nothing but the wind. Cool and quiet, ghosting over his ear with a light breeze.

It started with the subtle run of invisible fingers down his arm, tracing over muscle and flesh, setting nerves on fire for something that was just out of touch.

It started in the nights where he'd awake from the horrors of his nightmares to a sudden chill that'd linger at his side. An eerie but oddly comforting feeling that'd press against his body with intent. Pressure at his back and wrapping around his waist, a touch he'd longed for but never had the chance to experience. A touch he'd been desperate for since spring break of 86'. A touch he'd wish to experience in the aftermath of hell but never once had the opportunity before it was taken away and left to rot in the barren wasteland of the Upside Down.

A touch of a man he knows he could have grown to love.

In reality it started with glances in the halls and a twist in his gut that at the time he was yet to recognize as desire. It wasn't until years down the road with a jagged bottle pressed millimetres from spilling the source of his life at his feet that Steve Harrington recognized that need. It came in the form of piercing dark eyes, a mess of curls and skin so pale it resembled the beauty of porcelain.

But it came too late. It came in a time of distress and fear and the sheer unknowingness of survival. It came only mere hours before he watched the life drain from those very dark eyes, screams dulling around him and blood pooling in his hands.

It came and so suddenly it went. It went but it never truly faded away and when those gentle touches and brushes of what felt like fingers on his skin returned, well so did that desire.

—---

It was mid June when he was sitting at home alone, blissfully enjoying the rarity that was peace and quiet, when suddenly the lights flickered and the TV switched on only to flash through channels of heavy metal music videos and what only appeared to be very sudden flashes of what looked like the Upside Down.

His heart was racing in a matter of seconds. Was Vecna back? Was it something else? Was the form of sinew and stardust known to the universe as Steve Harrington about to finally perish to some unholy demonic god from another dimension?

But then the radio in the kitchen buzzed on in a surge of static. A name, one so familiar to the screams that haunted his dreams poured from its speakers in a frantic rush of words.

'Eddie,' 'Eddie,' 'Eddie.'

As if it was on repeat the man's name was chanted through the radio, its stations skipping in a fury between songs and voices, each one scratchy and hardly audible except for the definite 'Eddie,' that came through crystal clear.

Only when Steve's heart was threatening to beat out of his chest did the screaming of sound halt, the Radio buzzing stop and the TV shutting off with a flash.

"What the fuck?" He huffed to himself, trying to ease his breath when he felt pressure on the couch next to him, the scent of pine and menthols bleeding into the air around him.

He pinched his eyes shut and for a moment he could have sworn he felt Eddie's hand on his own, the unmistakable feeling of calluses and chunky metal rings against his skin.

It was a wild thought, fucking insane even, but it felt right, like whatever the hell just happened was nothing bad, nothing scary, just a ways of communication and he couldn't help but ask into the empty room around him, "Munson?"

The hand he felt on his own squeezed and he could've sworn he heard the faintest whisper of, "You betcha Big Boy."

He couldn't help the shuddered sob that racked his body as he collapsed further into the couch. This couldn't be happening, there's no way this could be real. Maybe the head injuries had finally gotten to him and he'd finally lost it.

"It's not real," he gasped to himself, only to feel the pressure on his hand tighten and a force press against his side like he was being held.

He laid like that for quite some time, trying to wrap his mind around the insanity of the situation but in reality, he'd seen so much in the last years that the idea of Eddie Munson's ghost sitting by his side wasn't such a far out thought.

It was only when he felt the gentle scratch of fingers against his scalp that his heartbeat eased and he leaned further into the touch asking a desperate, "Is it really you? How do I know it's you?"

The movement on his scalp stilled for a moment as if the being attached to it were in thought and then like it was nothing there was a gentle pressure against his cheek and a nudge against his ear, words whispered like a breeze in the air, "It's me Big Boy, don't worry your pretty little head."

But as those words were whispered and the pressure on his cheek crept to his lips, the phone rang and the tether that'd been keeping him grounded faded into nothing.

He'd gone to sleep that night thinking he was insane, the phantom touch of what he could only wish was Eddie Munson lingering on the entire left side of his body.

A week later it started again, though this time albeit much more subtle. Gentle touches and whispers of words in the breeze. He found himself confessing to the darkness of his room only to fall asleep later that night with the feeling of a hand clasped in his own.

He'd awake from the horrors of his dreams to a comforting sensation pressed into his side and eventually wrapped around his body.

The gentle touches and hardly audible voices continued for a month and it was when Steve had come to the conclusion that this couldn't be anything else but Eddie, he took his chance, whispering the words he'd longed to say into the emptiness of the world around him, "Kiss me."

The sensation of fingers dancing over his shoulder ceased, but only for a moment, the touch he'd experienced only that single day in June returned and he felt the warmth of lips on his cheek, slow, nervous as if they were unsure of Steve's conviction. But it was when Steve shuddered a breath and leaned blindly into the touch that the sensation deepened.

Still hesitant, nervous, a gentle but wanting thing.

With a slow releasing breath Steve felt what could only be a hand on his thigh and breath against his cheek, he couldn't help the whisper of a whine that escaped him, "Eddie Please."

The pressure on his cheek faded, leaving him gutted and wanting for only a moment, but a second later there was a weight settling in his lap, firm, heavy, warm. The sensation of hands resting on either side of his neck followed. Then a brush of his nose and then finally, finally a press to his lips.

Gentle and slow and so goddamn sweet. It was a kiss like none other, in the truest sense of it feeling other worldly. He swears he could taste the lingering burn of menthols on tongue, the slide of the other man's smooth with intent.

It was a heartbreaking feeling, but if this was all he could get from the Eddie Munson he once knew, he'd take it. He'd take it and hold it close to his heart and never let it go.

He sighed with the feeling of warmth in his chest, pressing his palms in the mattress below until he was fully upright, leaning with his back pressed to the headboard and a still invisible force weighing down his lap.

He couldn't imagine how ridiculous he looked, making out with a ghost, but everything about it felt so right. The heat that surrounded him, warm and wanting. The hands in his hair, unbelievably able to grasp and give a spine tingling gentle pull.

They remained that way for what could have been minutes or hours, only pulling apart when the pink hue of the sky hinted to the sun rising for the land of the living. It was then that Eddie pulled away, pressing a single lingering kiss to Steve's forehead before settling like a weight on his chest until the late hours of the morning.

It continued like that, Eddie's spirit lingering like an invisible force, stealing kisses in the emptiness of the Harrington house, ghosting fingerings through Steve's hair or stealing a peck in passing. Many times did Steve find himself standing with a firm line of pressure against his back and breath trickling over his ear, the occasional whisper of laughter breaching the barriers of the universe making their conversations seem not so one sided.

There'd be times when Eddie could talk, but they were quick, subtle things, the burst of words through the television or the radio, the man saving his greatest amounts of energy to tell Steve he's beautiful through a staticy hum.

It's the most they'd ever feel like they were together, the closest they'd get to something that could have been.

The kisses continued and the touches were ever present, but eventually Steve needed more. He wanted to feel all of Eddie, every part of him he was robbed of when he was taken from their world too soon.

It's an evening like any other, music playing quietly in the background, a tattered copy of the Hobbit in Steve's hand and gentle kisses begging to trail their way down his neck. The bed dips next to him with the weight of the man Steve knows he loves and when Eddie stops where he always does, lips halting at the collar of Steve's shirt, it's hardly even a thought when he drops the book off to the side and pulls his shirt over his head, encouraging Eddie to continue further.

It's a slow thing, beautiful and bleeding intention.

They'd learnt long ago that they can feel every ounce of the other under their fingertips, every hill, every valley, every new and old scar and raised tattoo. All it took was for Eddie to grab Steve's hand and place it on his cheek. He'd gasped at the sensation of stubble beneath his palm and couldn't help but let a few tears slip as he mapped out every feature of the man's invisible being.

Since that night he'd fall asleep with fingerings tracing the raised lines of Eddie's tattoos or combing through the softness of his curls.

But tonight he feels himself needing to feel more and when the sensation of Eddie's tongue over his nipple forces his back to arch and a gasp to break past his lips, he can't help but to say, "More. Eddie. I wanna feel more."

He might be hysterical or even absolutely insane, maybe this isn't even happening at all and he totally lost it, but logistics and sanity be damned, he wants every part of Eddie Munson that he can have.

The movement of lips and tongue and teeth on his abdomen still long enough for him to clarify, "Ed's I want you to fuck me."

There's a pause, the room's still but there's the pressure of hands on his waist and the indented of a body kneeling on the bed, it's not more than a few seconds later that the grip on his waist tightens and there's a brushing kiss being laid to his hip.

Steve watches in awe as a purple swells beneath his skin, painting him like a piece of art work as Eddie claims him as his own. Minutes later there's a watercolour of bruises littering his body, between and over each one a kiss was laid and a few even the faintest of bite marks that still indent his skin.

He'd lost his sleep shorts long ago, Eddie's artwork spread all the way from his hip to thigh to where he's now and Steve swears the man's trying to suck a hickey into the tip of his dick which only makes him wither in a delicious sort of pain.

There's gasps and moans and when he feels himself hit the back of Eddie's throat Steve knows he's already so embarrassingly close. When his back is arching off the bed and he's chanting Eddie's name like it's a prayer, the man only sends him further into orbit when there's pressure against his ass. Slow and circling and ever so slowly pressing in.

Steve knows he would've come by now, feels like he has a million times already, but he can feel Eddie's iron grip at the base of his cock stopping him from reaching release, leaving him to toe the waters of insanity as he babbles and whines for more, pressing his hips down and welcoming Eddie into his last knuckle.

The sheets are clenched in his hands, his knuckles flushing white and his throat sore from every gasp that's left his lips. He whines and withers and feels his toes curl when he assumes Eddie presses a second finger in, bobbing his head down and taking Steve to the root in the process, forcing a choked out moan to rattle through the air.

With a press of his finger to just the right spot, Eddie sends an absolutely spine tingling sensation through Steve's body. He feels himself jump and his legs shake and what he can only assume is a laugh vibrate around his length as Eddie continues.

"Are you laughing? Don't fucking lau-" Steve tries to scold through the euphoria only to be cut off with another press of Eddies fingers at turns his complaining into a breathless, "-oh fuck."

They don't continue like that for long, soon enough Steve can feel lips on his own once again as a heat and pressure settle against his ass. Moving in sync, licking lovingly into each other's mouth, he breathes out a helpless, "Please Eddie."

And it's with a gentle shuffle that there's a hand in his hair and lips locked onto his own that that pressure builds and he feels the stretch of Eddie finally pushing into him.

Down to the hilt Steve can feel the rise and fall of his own chest against Eddie's, the way the man is entirely wrapped around him with every speck of his celestial being. And then there's a push, a gentle rock of hips that forces a moan to be caught between lips.

Slowly and intentionally Eddie rocks into him, his already sensitive cock leaking against his stomach, waiting impatiently for the release it's been denied for far too long.

Eventually Eddie picks up the pace, though not much. The bed shakes around them and Steve can feel the flex of muscle beneath his finger tips, every rock of the man's hips accompanied by the twist of corded muscle under his grasp.

Lost in the moment and the feel of Eddie around him, Steve's release sneaks up on him. It's a sudden thing and when there's the pressure of ringed fingers wrapping around his dick, a single twist of a wrist is all it takes and there's heat pooling on his abdomen while comes with a choked out moan against Eddie's lips.

Not long after does the man follow behind, lips searing against his own, a grip on his waist that's sure to leave a bruise and Steve's sure he hears a shuddered breath as Eddie's body tenses above him.

They remain still for a few moments and as their chest heave together, Steve refuses to open his eyes, knowing he'll find nothing truly above him. He'd pinched them shut at some point, trying to imagine the man above him in his entirety.

He can still feel Eddie under his hands, the plains of his back, the ridges of his scars and he can't help but let a tear fall with the image of dark eyes above his own that he knows will never truly be present. In that moment he can't help but whisper, "I wish I had the chance to love you."

—

It'd been months. Weeks and hours and days and seconds spent with Eddie, or at least the closest thing Steve could get to the man himself.

They'd kissed, they'd cuddled and they'd made love countless times. It was still such a wild thing, but Eddie did what he could to prove to Steve that he was real. That he was there. Real and there and loving. Leaving picked flowers on the table in the kitchen, switching the radio on for songs they'd dance to for hours.

Always leaving Steve littered in the beautiful bruising evidence of their love. Bites and fingertips pressed into flesh. A wash of purple and blues and beauty, sucked into his skin by the mouth he kissed every morning and evening. And every minute in between.

They'd visit, mostly one-sided conversations but when Eddie found the energy there'd be words whispered into Steve's ear or crackled through the static of the radio.

They were attached at the hip, or so Steve imagined he supposed. But he could always feel Eddie's presence at his side, warm and caring, a pressure leaning into his being, grounding and tethering him to the very earth.

He hadn't thought much of it when he eventually invited the whole crew of monster hunters over for a pool party.

Robin and Nancy were sitting poolside giggling about god knows what. Dustin, Mike, Lucas and Max, flailing in the pool screaming and laughing over nonsense.

Steve and his ever present loving force sat curled up on a daybed. He could feel Eddie's legs over his own, the press of lips against his cheek, but no one was the wiser and he was growing to get used to that. Something for just the two of them, though he'd never stop wishing for more.

It wasn't until the Hopper-Byers clan arrived for the first time since the whole Upside Down shit show that Steve realised that dream could be a very possible reality.

El had stopped stone cold in the doorway, looking an inch or two to Steve's right and pondering something for a moment before she turned to see Will grabbing the back of his neck and staring in the same direction.

Dark, tortured eyes now locked onto Steve, so casually did El say, "He is still there."

The entire party stilled, laughter ceasing, conversations stilling and the press of lips against Steve's cheek retreating.

He was breathless for a moment, his heart pounding, his mind racing, and maybe his face gave away something akin to confusion, because El simply continued with, "That young man, he was a hero."

Steve, among the rest of the group that were there that day, remained shell shocked but all nodded, confirming El's statement to be true.

"Do you not want to save him?"

Steve's brows furrowed and suddenly reality dawned on him, he could have Eddie. The real Eddie. With a phantom kiss to his temple and squeeze of his hand, there was a whisper of a voice in his ear, low and raspy and so completely perfect, "Come find me baby."

—

With El's and surprisingly Will's help, they'd managed to open a single gate into the Upside Down, the stench of death and decay leaking into the atmosphere as they tore a hole between the two dimensions.

Upon stepping into the nearly collapsed wasteland, Steve took in his surroundings, it was eerily quiet, but there was a call of his name, gentle and loving, like a tether pulling him in the right direction.

It seemed after they killed Vecna, the grotesque flora and fauna of the Upside Down had died along with him, leaving the rotting corpses of Demogorgan's and Demobat's littered around the once deadly hellscape.

They'd managed to open a gate deep into the woods, hoping to find shelter there if anything had come to find them, but it was a rather laughable turn of events when the voice calling Steve's name led him right back to his own home. Well the Upside Down version of it at least. He'd entered the house alone, asking everyone to wait for his call of 'all clear' before they entered but upon stepping through his bedroom door he came face to face with the last man he thought he'd ever see again.

Lying there, makeshift bandages wrapped around his torso, Steve's clothes concealing his now thinner figure was Eddie Munson. A beautiful smile across his face, a stark contrast to the world of decay around him. His eyes shone the moment they met Steve's and he moved with a wince, hand flying to clutch his side but failing to give up as he flung his body into Steve's.

Steve held him as tight as he could manage without inflicting any more pain, burying his face in Eddie's shoulder as they held each other and let the tears fall and stain their skin with salt and the words they've managed to let go unsaid.

It wasn't much longer though that Steve felt lips on his own, skin soft and stained with tears, finally pressed together. He shuddered a breath, tears streaming down his cheeks as he choked out an unbelieving laugh, their embrace more teeth than anything as they leaned into one another, smiling, bodies held so close for the first time

Steve had so many questions. How was this all possible, being the main one. None of this made sense, but as Eddie's lips pressed to his again and the warmth of the man in his arms flooded his heart, Steve's need to know faded.

And it was with a soft kiss to his nose, and dark brown eyes looking into his own, that Steve knew he'd finally get his chance to love Eddie Munson.

---

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marvel-ous-m · 1 year

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After Starcourt, Steve and Robin began a new tradition- 'spa nights'. Robin would make them homemade face masks (“peaches and yogurt? On my face? That’s disgusting Robin.” “Shut up and put it on, dingus.”). They would put in a shitty tape from Family Video and Steve would paint their nails. (“How do you even know how to do this Steve?” “I’m a babysitter, Rob, it’s in the job description.”)

The school year started and Robin got a lot more busy- what with it being her senior year and all- but they still made time for spa nights. They were less frequent (maybe once a month instead of every other week), but they happened.

Vecna came, they killed the bastard, and they all lived- somehow, miraculously, certainly not unscathed, but they’re all alive. They beat him. A few months later, after the almost-end-of-the-world, Robin brought up their spa nights. (“Come on, Steve, it’s been months. My brain needs a vacation, my face needs a vacation, my nails need a vacation.”) Steve agreed, acting reluctant (but was secretly really excited to get back to one-on-one time with his best friend).

Except the kids find out, namely El and Max, and they beg Steve and Robin to join them. The two acquiesce, and then Eddie hears about it and joins the party, too. Uninvited. (But nowadays he doesn’t need an invitation. He shows up, bright personality and even brighter smile, and brings a constant, welcome addition to the party. Along with some… feelings that Steve can’t even start to try and acknowledge.)

The spa night comes and everyone crowds into Steve’s living room. Robin has put together a new face mask recipe (“ugh, what is in this?!” “Just shut your mouth and put it on, Red.”), Eddie brings his braiding skills, and Steve provides the nail polish.

Only now, his hands shake.

It’s something he’s noticed by now. The nerve damage from fighting the bats and Vecna, the 24/7 anxiety, the brain damage, something that they faced over spring break has left him with a tremor that he can’t quite get rid of. Sometimes it’s small, sometimes it’s more noticeable, and tonight… well, it’s not great.

Robin wiggles her fingers at Steve, ready for their tradition of him painting her nails, and Steve hesitates. It’s a small thing, but his shoulders tense. He hasn’t mentioned the shaking to anyone yet, and he knows that he wouldn’t be able to get the crisp, clean paint that he used to. The tremor would make itself obvious, and he just can’t face picking up the nail polish bottle. It’s a sign of the new weakness, one that he can’t admit to others, can barely admit to himself… he can’t face being seen as weak. As flawed. As-

“Hey! Are we painting nails?! Here, lemme have a go. I haven’t done it on anyone else before, always just painted my own.” Eddie interrupts Steve's train of thought in his easy way and grabs the nail polish from just below Steve’s hand. He plops down between Steve and Robin, admiring the color the later had chosen. “Robin’s Egg Blue, very fitting, Birdie.” Eddie winks at her and starts painting, accomplishing a more polished finish than Steve was ever able to get before Spring Break.

And Steve just watches. Quiet, his hands on his knees. He watches as Eddie paints Robin’s fingernails blue, then Max’s a bright red. Eddie paints Eleven’s a deep purple shade, then gives himself a fingernail in each polish that Steve has to create a rainbow of clashing colors. Afterwards, once the paint has dried, the girls all wash their face masks off and curl up to watch the shitty movie Robin had picked.

Eddie turns to Steve then, a bright yellow shade in his hands. “Want a turn, sunshine?” Eddie must’ve seen the look on Steve’s face, the flash of pain, because his voice turns to a whisper before Steve can answer. “I can help you keep your hands steady, Stevie. Don’t worry about that. Just relax and lemme treat you to a manicure.”

Steve startles at that. He thought he'd been better at hiding it. “How did you know?“

“How wouldn’t I know, Steve?” Eddie grabs Steve’s hand, a gentle but firm grip holding his fingers straight and steady. “I paid attention. I noticed. We all came away from that fight with a different scar, and we all need some extra help with different things now.” Eddie speaks as he paints, carefully brushing away any mess with the corner of his thumb. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of, but I get it if you can’t tell anyone just yet. I’ll be here to help, though. Just like this. If you want it.”

Steve’s quiet still, but now in an effort to keep his emotions at bay. He’s never had anyone do… anything like this for him before. Eddie moves on to paint his other hand, and they sit in silence while the sound of the shitty rom-com washes over them, joined by the occasional giggle or mocking comment from one of the girls. Eddie does a second coat, brushes any scraps of excess paint away with an alcohol wipe, and caps the nail polish with a gentle smile.

Steve admires his nails, then glances up at Eddie, his eyes welling. “Eddie, thank you-“

“Don’t worry about it, darlin’, it’s just a paint job-“

“No really, Eddie. Thank you. For everything. For noticing. No one’s ever-“

“I’ll always notice, Stevie.” Eddie squeezes Steve’s arm, then turns slightly to watch the movie, his hip pressed against Steve’s.

Years later, in retrospect, Steve realizes that the spa night was the night he fell in love with Eddie Munson.

#my writing #steddie #stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #domesticity after the vecna fight >>>>#Hope the past tense/present tense shift wasn't too jarring for u guys #my writing style is unique (by unique I mean stupid)#stranger things post s4 #steve harrington/eddie munson

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queenie-ofthe-void · 3 months

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“Led Zeppelin? Never heard of them,” Steve lies, like a liar. Of course he’s heard of them, thinks maybe Hop’s mentioned them before. Doesn’t really know the band well, and probably definitely couldn’t name a song. But the comment serves its purpose, and the trap is set.

Eddie calls it the Zep Campaign. Every day they’ll listen to one album, and Steve will pick his favorite song from each. Eight days for eight albums. On the last day, they’ll narrow it down to one song to rule them all– because apparently even Led Zeppelin likes the Mordor books Dustin doesn’t shut up about.

Each day, Steve struggles to pick a favorite. Day four isn’t bad– doesn’t mind a song that is actually called Rock and Roll, which is just a lazy title in his opinion– but they’re only half way through and the songs are all starting to sound the same. An endless stream of too-fast guitar melodies and weird, wobbly sounds he’s sure he’s never heard before. The vocals are his favorite part, but the lyrics are vague and confusing.

Long story short, he’s not a fan.

But this growing thing between him and this ridiculous metalhead is new, fragile. So if it’s important to Eddie, it’s important to Steve.

“Stevie, we really don’t have to keep doing this,” Eddie concedes. It’s day eight, the final album, and he thinks even Eddie might be desperate to listen to something different. “You’ve listened to every other album and honestly this one is the worst. They were all on drugs, and this isn’t even their sound ya know? Like it’s not even real metal.”

And honestly, Steve does know. He’s been listening to this band for eight days and yeah, all the songs sound the same. But these ones are different. Softer. He’s made it this far, and he’s nothing if not persistent for the people he loves.

Sprawled out on the floor next to the boy he likes, passing a fading joint back and forth, he thinks he can suffer a bit longer.

“No Eds come on, we’re halfway through anyways. Just flip it over and we’ll smoke while we finish.” Eddie huffs a sigh, but Steve can see the slight uptick of his lips, reminding him of why he’s doing this. He flips the record and crawls back, presses himself flush up against Steve’s side.

The next song is long, too long to keep his attention. They burn down their joint and Steve leans heavily onto Eddie’s open chest. He gets lost staring at the vinyl art. A guy dressed in a fancy white suit sits alone in a dive bar, the only splash of color against a dull background. The bartender looks gruff, like the rest of the bar, making the man stand out even more. He wonders if that’s how he looks posted up at the Hideout during Eddie’s shows. Wonders if he looks just as out of place in Eddie’s life as this man does, even though he looks comfortable there too.

Eddie shifts his arms around Steve, bringing him back to the present. The song has changed and Steve feels the slow melody wash over him.

“Wait,” Steve cries out, flailing up and out of Eddie’s arms as he registers the new song. It’s soft with a steady beat. It’s got synth-- the sound Eddie told him he likes in pop music. This song isn’t loud and chaotic like the rest. The voice is soothing and the lyrics are mostly simple enough. It’s different, and he can’t believe it but–

All of my love, all of my love

all of my love to you, oh

“This one. I like this song. Like actually like it.”

Eddie sits up and stares at him. He can see the dramatic shock and annoyance on Eddie’s face. But it’s doing nothing to hide his broad smile and shining eyes.

“Steven. Stevie. Baby, sweetheart, this absolutely cannot be your favorite Zeppelin song. Out of all the songs on all the albums and all the hours of poetic melodies I’ve forced upon you, you choose the most non-Zep Zeppelin song.” Steve laughs sweetly as he watches Eddie fail to keep the glee out of his supposedly annoyed voice.

The cup is raised, the toast is made yet again

One voice is clear above the din

“This song isn’t even metall!" Eddie screeches. He rants and raves, waiving his arms as he regales Steve with all of the reasons he should absolutely not like this one particular song. He's shining with happiness, dial turned up to a hundred and it's all aimed at Steve. He can't help but to gaze back fondly, enraptured in the adorably obnoxious spectacle.

"It’s all synth, almost no guitar because Page didn’t even write this one! He wrote all of them except two songs, Stevie, and of course that’s the one you chose. No one who knows good music even likes this album. It’s not even metal music and honestly I almost didn’t show it to you, that’s how bad it is!” They're both giggling, leaning falling slowly into the other's space. Facing one another, their feet tangled together, Steve twists and pulls on Eddie's rings. Just to touch.

“Well, maybe that’s why I like it,” Steve snarks, taking his hand. “Plus it’s a love song.” Daring to reach out.

All of my love, all of my love, yes

All of my love to you

Eddie’s smile dims a bit, softens at the edges as he grows serious. “It’s not a love song Stevie, not like that.” He’s looking at Steve but he isn’t. Looking past him into the back of his thoughts. “The lead singer, he wrote it for his son. His kid died of some kind of bad illness while he was on tour. Didn’t make it back in time.”

He pauses, and Steve waits. Knows Eddie has more to say, hoping his patience will pay off. Eddie’s sight refocuses and he heaves a heavy sigh. His eyes glisten as they lock onto Steve.

“My mom used to sing it all the time. While she was cooking, or putting me to bed, or pulling weeds in the garden. She’d sing it constantly. Hell, she didn’t even know all the words, but she’d still try and sing the interludes– ya know, the music between the lyrics.” He laughs lightly, a stray tear just barely hanging on. Steve tightens his grip around Eddie’s hands and presses a kiss to his knuckles. A silent sign of gentle support and encouragement.

“Sounds like a love song to me,” Steve whispers. Leaning forward, he presses a kiss to his forehead and pulls Eddie into a tight hug.

All of my love, all of my love, to you now

“A love song just for you, from both of us.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've always headcanoned that Eddie loves Led Zeppelin, because he plays guitar and loves metal and reads Lord of the Rings so of course he would.

#It's 1:30am and life is chaos #I wrote this in two hours after i spent all day at work hyperfixating on one of my favorite bands #This is all wikipedia so if something's wrong no it isn't i'm too fragile for corrections #if you see typos no you didn't #ramble on is eddie's vecna song #change my mind #steddie #steddie fic #steddie ficlet #eddie munson #steve harrington #led zeppelin #eddie munson headcanon #steddie headcanon #QueenieWritesStories

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mardyart · 1 year

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it’s the 90s, they’re still pining

#i just Love drawing them in little beards and their matching scars #and of course they’re painfully pining over each other like five to ten years after vecna and ud #steddie #steve x eddie #eddie x steve #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie fanart #stranger things #stranger things fanart #stranger things 4 #art #fanart #artists on tumblr

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morganbritton132 · 2 years

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Eddie posts a video where he tells Steve that some people on the internet think that Steve’s more badass than him. Steve is like, “Yeah. Because I am.”

Eddie: That’s not true

Steve: Ed, you don’t even crack the top five most badass people we know.

Eddie: Uh, I preformed live on stage with Judas Priest. Who is more badass than me?

Steve: Nancy

Eddie: Besides her

Steve: El. Hopper. Will. Joyce went Russia. Me. Max. Lucas is badass. Dustin, too. Jonathan Byers! You ever see Robin work through her anxiety? That takes strength.

Eddie: Am i the top of anything? Besides you.

Steve, unamused: You top the leader board of dumbest decisions anybody has ever made when you decided not to follow the plan in ‘86

Eddie: Psh, not like I died.

Steve: You did die! For three minutes. I had to do CPR. You were in the hospital for a month!

Eddie, calling after Steve when he walked away: Wait, you didn’t say Mike. You think I’m more badass than Mike? Only Mike?

<- Last Post | Next Post ->

#Eddie to the camera after he got no response: yeahhh he’s mad at me. i gotta go do what people in the industry call damage control #Eddie’s response to people asking how he died was to first clarify that he didn’t die and he didn’t overdose. he *whatever gov’t coverage #story they used to explain Vecna*#it clarifies almost nothing #eddie munson #steve harrington #steddie #eddie munson tiktok saga

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evilkaeya · 2 years

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I love how we as a fandom collectively went ‘nope’ after watching Eddie’s death scene and continued making posts like it never happened

#truly love that for us #I refuse to acknowledge vol2 ep2 #eddie lived and kissed steve after defeating vecna that's it #steddie #eddie munson

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milf-harrington · 1 year

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i wrote this in like an hour so please forgive the quality but here's some gentle steddie set somewhere in the early 90's mentions of canonical violence and trauma, but otherwise just a gentle morning scene

5:30 am found Eddie Munson on the back porch steps, watching their liver spotted dalmatian patrol the fence-line with her usual level of seriousness. Ronnie moved like a spectre in the half-light, her edges all blurred and smudged until she stopped to sniff at a weed and became solid again.

The cherry of his cigarette flared bright on his inhale as he brought his knees further into his chest, feet crossed over one another like he could trap the warmth in if he just curled up tight enough. With autumn creeping closer, the mornings were getting crisp.

Luckily, his ears were warm under both his hair and the hood of his jumper,but his legs were prickly with goosebumps thanks to his habit of grabbing whatever was on the floor. This time it was Steve's basketball shorts, the one's that used to be trackpants until he'd taken scissors to them in the summer of '88.

They definitely weren't suited for cooler weather, but they were comfortable and Eddie kind of liked the distraction the chill brought. It was harder to get stuck in memories of snapping bones and dead motors and being eaten by bats when your toes were trying not to freeze off.

Eddie sniffled without tears and wiped his nose with the back of his hand, bringing his smoke back to his lips for another drag. His hands were shaking, but it had nothing to do with the weather.

He'd dreamed of Chrissy again.

The problem with an overactive imagination, is that it could always make your nightmares worse.

After weeks of stress free dreaming, he'd wound up back in his trailer last night, but this time he'd known Chrissy's favourite song. Playing it hadn't worked, and instead the bats had come pouring from her mouth like it was it's own gate. They'd swarmed him before he even had a chance to run, breaking free through the windows and those damn vents before tearing him and Hawkins apart.

He'd woken in his and Steve's bed, in the house they bought with their shady government money, sweat slicked and on fire. His skin was tight and itchy as he'd crept out of bed, tapping the dog awake to take her outside and grabbing his smokes from the dresser.

Ronnie chose then to drop her favoured rope at his feet, head ducked and eyes flitting from between him and the toy hopefully, tail wagging. Eddie secured his cigarette between his lips so he could distract her with a scratch behind her ears, and grabbed the toy with his free hand before she could react. She'd turn it into a game of tug-o-war if he wasn't careful, and it was impossible to ask her to drop it when it took both hands just to keep hold of the thing.

The rope sailed across the backyard in a high arc, and Ronnie almost tripped over her own paws in her haste to get to it.

A few more throws later, the sky was brighter and the back door opened with a familiar wheeze behind him.

Eddie didn't turn as he threw Ronnie's toy again, but listened to Steve quietly walk closer and settle down beside him with a soft grunt.

A moment later, his cigarette was stolen from right between his fingers, but when he turned to complain, Eddie was met with a steaming mug shaped like a bear. He took it with hands that were steadier than they'd been 10 minutes ago.

Steve, meanwhile, had tucked the cigarette between his own lips like he used too when he was trying to seem cool and impressive (before they got their shit together), and unfolded the blanket he'd brought out with him.

It settled over both of their shoulders while Eddie sipped his coffee, feeling it's journey all the way down to his stomach. He watched Ronnie register Steve's presence and come bounding over.

She stopped in front of them with the rope toy swinging from her mouth, tail picking up enough speed to move her hips with it when Steve signaled for her to drop it.

Steve generally wasn't verbal this early in the morning, preferring to sign until the world felt awake enough for voices. Luckily their dog was deaf too, even if she was cheeky about ignoring signals by pretending not to see them.

Finally, Ronnie relented, dropping the rope between Steve's ridiculous old-man slippers as he passed the cigarette back to Eddie. She graciously accepted her vigorous head scratches as reward.

Eddie huffed a laugh and tapped off the excess ash, taking another drag and waiting until the dog was tearing off after her toy to pass it back to Steve.

He accepted the smoke with a smile and didn't ask why Eddie was awake so early, or why he hadn't bothered to dress warmer. Just made sure the blanket was wrapped around him properly, and pressed a kiss to his temple over the top of his hood.

Eddie sighed from somewhere deep and tired inside him and let his head drop onto Steve's shoulder, feeling it drop as he exhaled smoke towards the rising sun.

#hoh steve harrington #steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #i really want a dalmatian but i'm currently in no position to get one so i gave steddie one instead #im imagining that they adopted her from shelter sometime after vecna is defeated #eddie wanted to name her something metal but steve didn't want her to have a weird name so they compromised on 'ronnie'#which is cute and also the name of dio's lead singer #steddie fluff #sort of #domestic steddie #my writing

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artiststarme · 7 months

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Happy Halloween!

The first Halloween they have after the events of Spring Break is the best Eddie had ever had. He’d always loved Halloween with its mystery and secrets, the hidden horror found in the films, and the candy everyone passed out to the kids. He loved watching the kids of the trailer park dress in their second-hand costumes to pretend to be fairies, princesses, and pirates like he too had once before. But before 1986, he’d always been alone. He would smear makeup on his face and run door to door in the early evening before anyone else was out then he’d saunter home and hide from the bullies outside with a lap full of candy and the small TV screen playing a horror flick.

Halloween of 1986 though brought a new opportunity. Eddie could put on a mask and cease to be the boy that everyone in the town despised. He would no longer be a “known” killer that mothers pulled their children away from. He wouldn’t be the idiot that flunked out of high school after three tries. He wouldn’t even be the freak that people sneered insults at. That Halloween night, Eddie was able to just be himself with his friends.

He and Steve weren’t dating at that point, but he could feel they were close. Eddie saw the way his eyes never strayed quite too far away from him and felt how his hands reached for him whenever he turned away. It wasn’t different on Halloween.

Eddie’s face was covered with black and white paint and his hair was let loose on his back, the curls unruly and full. He was masquerading as a member of KISS, the only metal band that Steve could stomach to listen to for any period of time. Above all though, he wasn’t Eddie Munson.

Steve dressed as Ferris Bueller wearing a costume eerily similar to Tina’s Halloween Party several years prior and matched with Robin who went as his best friend Cameron Frye. The kids dressed in random costumes that meant little to Eddie beyond recognition that they were having fun.

The whole Party went door to door in Loch Nora for the full size candy bars then around the Wheeler’s neighborhood for some of what Dustin called, “the cheap shit”. When the night was over and most of the houses were out of candy to pass out, everyone headed back to the Byers’ house for the sleepover of all sleepovers. They carved pumpkins and ate pie, they made pumpkin seeds and cookies, they almost gave Hopper a heart attack when they started a food fight that wrecked the entire dining room (Eddie started it but he’s taking that with him to the grave).

When the kids were too tired and the girls had retreated to bed, Steve led Eddie out to his car where they watched the stars and smoked some cigarettes. They ate all of Dustin’s candy and traded secrets under the gaze of the brightened moon. Eddie’d long forgotten about his face paint up until the point where Steve’s lips met his in a light kiss that shot electricity through his bones. They kissed and hugged until their noses were cold from the chilly weather and they had no choice but to head back inside.

It was the best night of Eddie’s life.

The morning after was not. He woke up with a bruising jolt from Steve’s elbow making contact with his jaw. His stomach hurt from the excessive consumption of sweets and his lungs were tight from the chain smoking. Most of all though, his head hurt from the loud raucous of the kids finding his facepaint all over the lower half of Steve’s face.

He dealt with the outraged confusion of the kids, the stern ‘talking-to’ (more like screaming match) from Hopper for defiling his adopted son, and even the not so subtle looks from Robin and Nancy. Everything was worth it in the end when Steve carefully wiped off the makeup on Eddie’s face with nimble fingers and gentle swipes until all that was left was some slight staining of skin and his lips meeting Steve’s.

Halloween of 1986 was the best of many moments to come. It turns out that for Eddie, ‘86 was his year after all.

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#it was all fun and games until Hopper found them in the bathroom and threatened to pull a Vecna #after that they start making out at the trailer instead because uncle Wayne shows much more support (i.e. fake gagging but no threats)#the kids can't believe that Steve fell for Eddie covered in KISS makeup and he fell for Ferris Bueller #Robin can't believe that no one noticed her waking up in Nancy's clothes from the night prior but she's not going to bring it up #stranger things #steddie #fanfic #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley #dustin henderson

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hbdttg · 1 year

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Eddie, or something that used to be Eddie, wanders the Upside Down in the aftermath of it all.

He may not know where or who he is, but he knows he belongs. His heartbeat syncs with those of the screeching creatures that soar up above. The thrumming in his veins mirrors the pulsing of the vines that cover the ground at his feet. The hunger at his core is shared by the flower-faced beasts that roam the earth on all fours. He belongs, so he must be home.

Weeks after waking—or months, or years; time is unpredictable in this place, moving at whatever speed it so chooses, sometimes not moving at all—Eddie happens upon a gate. It's located on Morehead Street and small enough that he might have walked right past it if not for its peculiar orange glow.

Curious, Eddie digs his clawed fingers into its center, tearing through the viscous membrane until there's enough space for him to crawl through. He drags his scarred body through the tiny opening, dropping onto the other side with practiced grace. He finds himself atop what appears to be a crumbling staircase, overlooking a decrepit landscape that stretches on for miles.

Gone are the blue-gray skies, replaced with hazy red, roiling fog, and flashes of vibrant lightning. Gone is the air damp with rot, replaced with a sticky blanket of humidity and the scent of acrid smoke so thick he can taste it on his tongue.

Eddie descends the staircase, heedless of the wet squelch his shoe makes when he steps through a puddle of black, oily liquid at the bottom. Intrigued, he runs a pale hand lightly over a nearby tower of stalagmite. The place is littered with them, pointed spires made of knotted, dormant vines.

Eddie steps toward one of the larger spires, taking in the figure encased in its vines. It's a human girl, fair-haired and slight in stature, held upright against her tower by large, twisted tendrils. There's no life in her, just the stench of death and decay.

For a fleeting moment, Eddie thinks he might know her. But that's impossible. He knows only his brethren, knows only their chitters in the dark and their shrieks overhead.

He turns away from the girl, staunchly ignoring the deja vu that grips him as he walks away from her. It unsettles him, that niggling feeling he's missing something important here.

Without warning, a bell begins to toll, its ominous knell crashing through the air like thunder. The distant sound of footsteps reaches his ears next, accompanied by heavy, panting breaths and the occasional hissed curse.

Eddie conceals himself behind a partially standing wall, peering through its broken glass windows in search of his interloper. He spies a figure approaching, running through the fog in a zig zag pattern, as though trying to evade something. As the figure gets closer and Eddie can make out more of its features, he realizes it's a boy, carrying a bat embedded with nails and dressed in a brown leather jacket underneath a battered denim vest.

Denim vest?

Eddie doesn't have time to dwell on the vague sense of familiarity that flashes through him at the sight of this boy—of the vest—because the fog and miasma behind him slowly start to clear, revealing a large, gnarled creature walking calmly after him.

"Why do you run from me, Steven?" the creature says, its voice sinister and seductive, a long-stemmed rose laden with thorns. "You asked me to find you. You begged to be mine. Because you know, Steve, that only I can end your suffering."

The boy skids to a halt beside the body of the girl. He whirls around to face the creature, throwing an arm up to point at her remains. "End my suffering like you ended Chrissy's?"

Steve? Chrissy?

The creature laughs, an ugly, croaking sound that sends shivers up Eddie's spine. "She is beautiful now," it croons. "And you will be, too, once you join us."

And that confuses Eddie. Because despite his dirtied appearance, windswept hair, sweat-slicked face, and scarred neck, the boy before him is already beautiful.

"You want me?" the boy—Steve—spits as he brings both hands together, knuckles going white as he tightens them around the handle of his bat. He raises it between him and the creature, widening his stance and shifting his weight between his feet in anticipation of a fight. "Come and get me!"

As soon as the words leave his lips, the vines at his feet spring to life, shooting up and thrusting him back against a nearby spire. The force of it visibly knocks the breath out of Steve, but he was apparently expecting something like this, because he managed to bring one hand up to the level of his eye before he was fully immobilized, trapping his wrist in the hold one of the vines has against his neck.

"Poor, foolish Steve," the creature says, slowly approaching him. It huffs out a derisive laugh as it steps over the fallen nail bat, then reaches out a thrawn, leathery hand, hovering it over Steve's face, clawed fingers curling as if to grasp him, puncture him. "You cannot run from me."

Steve gasps and struggles against his binds, but goes still when something new resounds through the air—the sudden blare of an electric guitar, followed by a series of deep and distorted notes that Eddie can feel in his very bones.

Drums come crashing in, loud and unapologetic, and he revels in the sheer power of it all, letting the music wash over him and set his nerves alight.

"Try and stay very still," the creature murmurs, giving the noise no mind. "It will all be over soon."

Slowly, Steve's brows unfurrow and he actually smiles. "Yes, it will," he manages to choke out, the challenge in his voice apparent despite its compromised state, "but not in the way you think."

As if on cue, a voice rings out, rough and raspy and angry and perfect above the thunderous melody that fills the air. The words are familiar, seared in Eddie's mind like a memory. Without a doubt, he knows this song. If only he could remember how he knows it.

With the voice comes a gate, though it's unlike the one Eddie came in through. Its edges are wispy, like the fog itself cleared to make an opening, and he can see clearly through it to the other side.

The scene features three unconscious bodies. The first is Steve's, wearing a set of headphones and levitating several feet off the ground. The second is a young girl's, floating in a bathtub with a blindfold tied around her head. The third is a boy's, slumped over the side of the tub with his fingers intertwined with the girl's.

A gaggle of children are split between them, some kneeling by the tub and others standing below Steve, jumping and screaming up at him. Their faces are so familiar. Eddie wishes he could place them. But all he has to go on are the frantic pounding of his heart and the bone-deep feeling that these people, these strangers, are important.

There are older kids scattered about, too, one of which has her hands wrapped around Steve's ankle, yelling as she tries to keep him tethered. Her voice is muffled, but Eddie can make out her panicked, "That's enough, dingus, it's time to come back! They've got it from here!"

The song swells, powerful and ferocious, and Eddie feels the chords right in his very heartstrings. He looks down at his hands, watches some muscle memory react viscerally to the song's fury, watches his fingers start to curl as if itching to rest on a fretboard.

"This is for Eddie, you ugly son of a bitch!" Steve yells up at the creature. He manages to leverage a bit of space with his trapped hand, then—at the crest of an absolutely face-melting guitar solo—drops his head to take a huge, violent bite out of the vine wrapped around his neck.

Several things happen at once:

1) The creature—Vecna—rears back, affected enough by Steve's display of unhinged ferality that the vines loosen their grip on him. Steve bursts out of Vecna's hold and starts sprinting toward the gate.

2) Two figures materialize behind Vecna: the girl and the boy from the other side. He must be Will the Wise, in all his bowl-cut glory. And she must be Supergirl, if the way she blasts Vecna straight through a nearby wall is any indication.

3) Eddie fucking remembers.

He remembers Hawkins and the Upside Down. He remembers Vecna, and Chrissy, and nearly every single face on the other side of the gate.

He remembers Dustin sobbing over his dying body; he remembers Max offering up herself up as bait; he remembers Lucas turning on the basketball team to help his true friends; he remembers Erica thrusting a belt made of literal bullets into his hands; he remembers Nancy wielding a felonious shotgun into battle; he remembers Robin's knowing expression at hunt the freak. He remembers Mike Wheeler, and Jonathan Byers, and—well, not the long-haired guy next to Jonathan, but that's probably fine.

And of course, he remembers the boy who'd stripped off his yellow sweater and thrown it in Eddie's slack-jawed face, who'd worn Eddie's battle vest over his still-bleeding battle wounds, who'd walked side-by-side with Eddie in a forest full of danger and decay, who'd blushed so prettily when Eddie called him big boy, who'd held Eddie's gaze and warned him not to play hero.

Eddie remembers Steve.

Later, once they both tumble through the gate and end up on the ground in a pile of limbs, Eddie will groan low in his throat and try to untangle himself from Steve's heavy body. Steve, terrified that he might have brought something dangerous back with him, will twist on top of Eddie and nearly slam his head down into the tiled floor, stopping himself only once he realizes exactly who he has pinned under him.

Later, once the party finally stops screaming in response to Eddie's sudden appearance—to his literal resurrection—Steve will drag him into his chest and clutch desperately at his back, rocking their bodies back and forth in near-catatonic shock. Eddie will clutch him back just as tightly, drenching his shirt with hot, wet tears.

Later, after Vecna is reduced to mere dust and Eddie struggles to heal from his months of being trapped alone in an alternate dimension, he'll dial Steve's phone number in the dead of night just to hear another person's voice. Steve will talk about nothing and everything, hanging up only when he can hear Eddie's breaths slow and finally even out through the line.

Later, Steve will admit he purchased Metallica's record shortly after Eddie's supposed death, wanting to hear the song he played in the Upside Down, the legendary song he used to brand himself as bait before running off to protect Dustin and buy the rest of the party more time. Eddie will hide the pleased little thrill that rushes through him at Steve's admission by throwing an arm around him and insisting they'll make a metalhead of him yet.

Later, Eddie will bring the subject up again, curious to know how the song became Steve's Vecna song. Surely he had other options that he'd cherished for far longer than the several months he'd known Master of Puppets. Steve will quietly confess that the song made him think of Eddie, of a fiery, vibrant life snuffed out too soon. And though Steve made the mistake of not turning from the Creel house and running back to Eddie that night in the Upside Down, he knew if he'd ever have to fight for his life trapped in a Vecna mind prison, he'd do it right. He wouldn't for one second hesitate to run toward the song—to run toward Eddie.

Later, Steve will gently cup Eddie's cheek and press in, close enough that they both have to go slightly cross-eyed to keep eye contact, that they feel each other's nervous, shallow breaths in the space between them. Eddie will grapple with the slew of feelings swirling messily in his ribcage before his stubborn resolve wins out and he presses his lips against Steve's in a long overdue kiss.

Later, Steve and Eddie will fall in love. But now?

Now, Steve runs.

And Eddie, or the something that never truly stopped being Eddie, follows.

#stranger things #steve harrington x eddie munson #steddie #steddie fic #been fixating on this hc that steve's vecna song became master of puppets after they lost eddie #and instead of being normal and writing about it in his pov i decided to do this instead #also this isn't a full kas!eddie situation but i love the idea of eddie losing himself in the upside down #maybe his body's a lil wonky when he comes back who knows? depending on your level of monsterfucker you can choose to believe what you want #spot the phantom reference lol #fic writing #hbd

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italiansteebie · 1 year

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someone is finally taking care of steve harrington and to everyone's surprise it just so happens to be wayne munson.

they didn't seek each other out. not really. after eddie had... passed... wayne was lonely. he wasn't afraid to admit it, his boy was gone, and his home had been ripped in half by what the government called an earthquake. he didnt have much to do these days, spending most of his time at the relief shelter at the highschool, helping take care of those a little worse for wear after the earthquake. he just didn't expect steve harrington to be one of those people.

he noticed the boy wandering around the first few days, never really going home, always helping others, making sandwiches or just keeping himself busy. wayne though, he'd raised eddie practically, and he saw right through steve's attempts to be okay.

he'd seen the boy with those kids eddie played with and how he cared for them, hell he'd even offered wayne his condolences, tearful and wobbly, but sincere, and apologetic for the way the town had treated eddie, he he'd let his friends treat eddie. so the kid wasn't that bad, not really.

and when he watched steve slip into the bathroom when he thought no one was looking to have a breakdown, he knew the boy needed someone. he needed someone too. so he followed him one day, patting him on the back, rocking him back and forth gently.

"i don't know what y'all went through, kid. and i've heard ya talking to the buckley girl about NDAs and all that junk. i know eddie got mixed up in it, and those kids told me what ya did for him. it'll be alright, okay, steve? it'll be alright."

and the truth came out not long after that, steve had broken down after a nightmare and let the truth slip, too tired to care about breaking the NDA. and so wayne learned everything and couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of gratitude that eddie didn't have to deal with all that anymore. but here was steve, shaking and stuttering in his arms, incoherently begging for his mother who hasn't set foot in hawkins in the past 6 months. and from what wayne gathered, she and her husband had no intentions of coming back, especially not after their house had been destroyed.

their lack of care for their son made his blood boil, the whole situation felt too similar to when eddie first came to stay with him. he pushed down the anger though, and he and steve worked through their grief together.

it was an odd friendship, if you could call it that, but it worked out in the end. wayne knew what happened to his boy, and steve got a stable father figure that payed attention to the things he said, and even gave him a hug once in a while.

#steve harrington #stranger things #wayne munson #after vecna #stranger things fic #steve harrington fic #ficlet #stranger things ficlet #wayne munson fic #wayne munson is a good dad #steve harringtons parents #steve and wayne #grief #steddie #almost #kind of steddie #steve ficlet #steve harrington headcanon #steve harrington drabble

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little-annie · 1 year

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All I Want | Ch 2

Steddie Fic | Little_Annie | Ao3

If you haven't read Ch.1 yet, click here ⤵️

---

Over coffees and breakfasts and ballgames and tears, both Steve and Wayne tried to come up with something realistic. No grand gestures that in the end would just confuse or scare Eddie, but maybe dozens of small gestures here and there, hoping that every little thing would lead Eddie back into the love they once knew.

They didn't have much, a flimsy idea of a very general plan. The first goal being to gain Eddie's trust and well, that wasn't something that was going to be easy to do. A boy raised in a community of judgemental, bigoted, right wing Conservatives and Bible Thumpers; he'd learned to build walls rather fast. Barriers to protect himself from the stares, the slurs and the societal pressures.

Eddie's whole persona was constructed as an armour, a gruff exterior to scare off those who may try to mould him into a vision of their own. It'd worked. The Hair, the tattoos, the leather; people left him alone. Calling out slurs and slander from a far, too scared to be cursed or sacrificed to some unholy deity if they got too close.

Though, remarkably, that was something Steve Harrington had grown to see past. He remembers seeing Eddie in the halls, treating him like an absolute asshole until the day the world got turned upside down and he had a bit of a reality check. He never really did talk to Eddie after that, nothing more than short glances and bumping shoulders in the halls. He regretted the way he'd treated the man in the past, but at the time didn't have the gaul to say anything about it.

Maybe in those short glances and passes in the hallway he'd learnt something about himself, something that felt like a gravitational pull. Though it wasn't something he was willing to admit to himself at the time.

He'd graduated and left Hawkins High with nothing more than a flutter in his stomach at the memory of brown eyes. It was only a few weeks later that this whole thing with Eddie started.

His kids had heard about a senior recruiting D&D players for next year's Hellfire Club, an opportunity of a lifetime according to one Dustin Henderson. It hadn't taken much to guilt Steve into driving the gaggle of pubescent crotch goblins to this so-called meeting. A few sets of puppy dog eyes and a singular "Please Steve," and he was putty in their hands.

They arrived to the school with far too much fanfare, the kids happily chanting and screaming about D&D, though it was all nonsense to Steve. He thought he'd get off scot free and be able to just sit in the car and wait, but, well, when he saw the silhouettes of leather and chains and the glow of a cigarette in the distance, he figured it'd be best he supervised. At least for the first night. He couldn't just hand his kids over to some random, rowdy strangers.

But well, a stranger it was not. No. It was Eddie Munson. The same Eddie Munson Steve had found his mind wandering to late at night and in the dark recesses of his brain that he was finally allowing a small glimmer of light to shine.

He'd sat there and watched in awe at Munson's theatrics, all wild gestures and magnetic energy. A booming voice that made Steve's spine absolutely tingle and a glimmer in his eye that forced a wave of heat to engulf Steve's form at any moment it met his own.

They hadn't so much as shared a word, Steve sitting in the corner out of the way but absolutely entrapped as he couldn't pull his eyes any. Several times had he felt a twist in his gut when Eddie took the time to really look him over, a curious look in his eyes as they trailed from Steve's head to his toes. It made him flush, aggressively so. For a moment he'd thought he'd fallen ill, but well, as that light burned brighter in the dark spots of his mind, he began to realise what that feeling truly was.

It'd happened a few times; Steve taking the kids to Summer Hellfire Oneshots, sitting in the corner observing all things Eddie Munson. Until one night the chair he'd claimed as his own, dubbed the Babysitters throne by a Junior named Gareth, was pulled from its usual spot in the corner and was instead seated rather close to the handmade masterpiece Eddie called his own. His stomach had done a treacherous somersault and he felt his face flush at the proximity to the other man when he was finally seated, nearly thigh to thigh, legs brushing as Munson moved animatedly.

Cigarettes, leather and something sweet like candy swarmed the air around him the entire time, a smell he'd later associate with the love of his life. A smell so distinctive, Steve couldn't even begin to manage to recreate it on his own during the recent nights when he missed Eddie so.

And that's kind of when it all really started. Those brushing thighs turned into whispered words and faint giggles, a cackle Steve would let out one night only to be scolded by Dustin but to feel the grip of Eddie's hand on his thigh. Granted it was accompanied by a worried glance and a brow raised in question, but all Steve could manage in response was a blush and a gentle nod, leaning into Eddie's touch as it remained under the table. Weeks later sliding his fingers to lace between Eddie's own and remain that way for every Hellfire session Steve attended afterwards.

They'd eventually share the smoke of a skunky haze, holled up in the Munson trailer, revealing their childhood traumas only to fall into each other's arms and never really leave.

They kept things quiet, discreet. Steve was hardly out to himself, let alone to the public and he wasn't about to share that with anyone who didn't really need to know. Who he slept with, who he loved, it wasn't anyone's business but his own and well, Eddie's of course.

They held hands beneath the table of Hellfire meetings, kissed in the shadows of local parties, and ran away for weekends to the city where they could be themselves and not have to worry about prying eyes.

It was just them, a little slice of happiness they saved for themselves.

Eventually Wayne found out. At first it'd sent Steve spiralling, thinking Wayne was going to beat the two of them half to death or send Eddie off to a conversion camp, but, when in reality, Wayne huffed a laugh, told them no fucking on the couch and slapped Eddie on the back grumbling something about 'finally locking down the Harrington boy,' and that was it.

Eddie had reassured Steve, Wayne was a good guy and if anything, 'might be a little fruity himself.' Quickly Steve grew to love the man. A father figure he'd never truly had, suddenly at his side. Someone to watch ball games with or gossip about the latest NBA trade. Someone to teach him things his own father never bothered to.

It was Christmas Eve in the Munson trailer when he and Eddie whispered the words 'I love you' for the first time, both revealing that they'd felt it for a long while before but were too scared to say it aloud. It was Christmas Day when Wayne tugged him into a hug and told him the words he'd never heard from his own father, words similar to those he'd heard from Eddie the night before.

Everything they shared was nothing short of beautiful. Their love raged like a fire and burned just as fast and beautiful and hot. Unfortunately for Wayne he'd come home too many times to the boys doing the one thing he explicitly had asked them not to, shielding his eyes and slamming the trailer door shut to yell back, 'Come on Ed! I sleep on that fuckin' thing!"

Needless to say, after Wayne threatened to castrate the two of them if it were to happen again, Eddie moved into the Harrington house.

They settled in easily, the majority of Eddie's things remained at the trailer, bringing only a handful of books, clothes and hobby supplies along with himself. They shared space and sweat in the confines of the once depressingly empty structure. A structure Steve never really considered a home until Eddie Munson stepped foot inside it.

Steve's parents returned maybe a handful of times, a plan already set in place; Eddie was never graced with the misfortune of meeting Mr. and Mrs. Harrington. Though one time it was dangerously close, the pair being in the shower together when they heard the front door shut. Eddie had snuck out the bathroom window and ran across the shingles to slip into Steve's room, dawning only a towel in the late January breeze.

And no, that wasn't the plan, but one thing Steve loved about Eddie was his uncanny ability to think on his toes, no matter the situation. He supposes that's what makes the man such a great DM.

Hiding their relationship was only difficult when the Upside Down came knocking on the door to Hawkins once again.

Chrissy Cunningham had died and Eddie was on the run, Steve wasn't even aware of the situation until Dustin came barreling into family video like a curly haired tornado.

When Eddie had brought the glass bottle to Steve's neck he could see the fear in his lover's eyes, up until the moment recognition dawned on him and he realised it was Steve he was about to maim.

Through all of it, they were so careful. Sharing glances and touches, holding hands beneath blankets and under tables. Often it was Steve who offered to stay behind and keep watch over Eddie, holding the man close to his chest and letting him sob until his tears ran dry. Steve wanted nothing more than to up and leave and take Eddie as far away form the hell they were tapped in, but it wasn't that easy.

They had to kill Vecna and finish things off for real this time.

Though he'd never imagine it was his plan that'd end up getting his boyfriend nearly killed.

He remembers it like it was yesterday. A flashing, fleeting thing that haunts his memories and every ounce of his dreams. The warmth of Eddie's blood on his hands as adrenaline pumped aggressively though his own body, helping him to surge through the gate with cracked bones and scathed skin, a grown man falling limp in his arms.

They'd just passed through the gate, the party running rampant through the trailer gathering medical supplies and trying to form a plan, but in that moment all Steve could hear was the beating of his own heart and static flooding his ears. He sat kneeling on the floor, tears running streaks through the soot that'd clung to his cheeks, holding Eddie's limp body close to his as he felt the man run cold.

He remembers the last breath Eddie took, shuddered, raspy, a gasp against his neck as the man whispered his last 'I love you."

It was from there that Steve was sure he'd lost Eddie, everything from then on was a blur, blacked out, moving on auto pilot. The next thing he remembers was waking up on a hospital bed, bright lights and beeping machines, Robin sitting at his bedside. He didn't even think twice before he shot up in bed, pain ricocheting through his abdomen, asking where Eddie was, if he was okay and if he was at the hospital.

Robin had looked at him sad, confused and grabbed his hand to squeeze and say calm, sombre, "He's stable."

The relief that Eddie was alive racked a rather aggressive sob from Steve's chest, verging on hysterics almost immediately. Robin paid it no mind, probably attributing it all to Steve carrying the man's body through the literal gates of hell. She'd stayed there with him for as long as she could and when visiting hours ended and she was forced to find solace elsewhere, that's when Steve went to find Eddie.

He heaved and gasped with every step, the tears in his skin and muscle aching with every movement now that the adrenaline had worn off. There was an IV cart he pulled along with him, a squeaky wheel and a bag of clear liquid sloshing around as it ran into his veins.

He'd found Eddie eventually, peeking into nearly twelve separate rooms until he found the man.

Bruised skin, bandage wrapped flesh, bleeding wounds and he was still the most beautiful thing Steve had ever seen. Though, it hurt like hell to look at him. Steve couldn't shake the thought that he brought Eddie into this. Maybe if they wouldn't have gotten together, maybe Eddie would've up and left, said so long to his high school career and got out of dodge, maybe at the very least Chrissy wouldn't have been at the trailer that night.

Christ, if Steve had made plans with Eddie that afternoon and he hadn't planned to meet Chrissy to sell, he wouldn't be in this situation. He wouldn't have been hooked up to tubes and monitors and cuffed to a fucking hospital bed.

Steve and the squeaky wheel of his IV cart found a home next to Eddie's bed for the night, hunched over the man, holding his bruised and bandaged hand in his own. He cried himself to sleep that night, silent tears staining his cheeks and the bandage that covered Eddie's hand. Come morning hospital staff had moved him back to his room, only to repeat the process for the following days.

When Steve had been released he managed to find Wayne and tell him everything, NDAs be damned. It wasn't more than a few days later that Hopper returned from the dead and managed to clear Eddie's name in a matter of days.

The following weeks Steve and Wayne spent the majority of their time bedside to Eddie and well, you know the rest.

But now, Steve sits heartbroken and lonely in a house that for a few short months truly felt like a home. He's wearing one of Eddie's shirts, the man's acoustic guitar at his side while he mindlessly picks at the strings, sitting on his bed. It was a gift, something special he'd given Eddie for their six month anniversary, something that stayed in their home and took part in their daily lives.

Nearly every day they'd spent together he can recall Eddie at sometime plucking along to the tune of 'you are my sunshine.' A remarkably out of character song, but something he swore was special just for Steve. Many times had the man been in nothing but his underwear, sometimes nothing at all, strutting around Steve, peppering him with kisses and singing the melody.

He huffed a laugh at the memory, a silent stream of tears following. He put the guitar away.

It was then that Steve laid there to ponder his plan, laying back, staring at the ceiling, fingers fiddling with the home cut hem of his shirt. The only thing he knew, the only thing he and Wayne had agreed on so far was step one would have to be to gain Eddie's trust again. Though they knew that wouldn't be an easy feat.

The main problem being that Steve would have to find a way into the man's life without seeming half nuts. Find a way for their meeting to seem natural, not something forced, not something scripted and planned out to a T.

He had ideas, believe it or not. Steve Harrington isn't the ditz people make him out to be, he's smart, in his own way. Especially when it comes to the real world and that that once lived below its surface. Maybe he needed to take his time to think things through a little longer, but that's nothing.

Later that evening, sitting on his bed, a plate of half eaten pizza bites next to him, one of Eddie's D&D miniatures in his hand, Steve had an idea. It wasn't much but it was something and without much thought he scrambled for pants and ran to his car, ripping out of the driveway and soon coming to a screeching halt in front of the Munson's recently repaired trailer.

It was dark out, evening had turned to night by the time he made it across town and thank God he'd seen Wayne's truck as he came skidding into the stop, hardly throwing the car into park before he was tripping over his feet, stumbling to the door. "Wayne!" He knocked on the thin glass, all but shouting waiting for the older man to answer.

With an irritated grumble, rubbing sleep from his eyes, Wayne opened the door, "Christ kid, I'm working the graveyard tonight, what is it?"

Out of breath from excitement alone, Steve huffed, "I know what to do, I know how to get Eddie back."

With that the two men found themselves seated in the living room of the trailer, Steve spinning out his quite simple plan of how to re-inject himself into Eddie's life. Really it was quite simple, give the man his space, once he's back at school or at least back home, Steve would find somewhere casual to bump into him. Somewhere like the grocery store or maybe the comic store, bring up D&D and how the kids he babysits have been wanting to play. If Eddie took the bait, like Steve knows he will, Eddie would shortly be hosting campaigns for The Party, maybe even if he's lucky in the Harrington basement.

After re-injecting himself into Eddie's life, he'd have to maintain that and somehow show Eddie that he's not the Steve Harrington he remembers from the past. The Steve Harrington Eddie remembers was an asshole and deserved the rejection Steve had received at the hospital.

Well and then there's that, that might be a weird bump to get over and explain. How would he explain that? It's not like, in Eddie's mind, it was normal for Steve to be sitting anywhere near him, let alone kiss him.

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thorniest-rose · 1 year

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Eddie who specialises in alternative pest control, i.e. he safely catches the little critters and lets them out safely in the wild where they can’t get hurt or get into anyone’s homes.

And Steve who doesn’t want mice in his bakery but also really really doesn’t want to kill them because he’s too soft hearted and glue traps sound scary.

omg this is so cute!!!! Steve with a bakery?! That would be the sweetest thing ever... like Steve graduates and is completely over all the toxic masculinity he exhibited and was part of at school, and after everything goes to hell at Starcourt and he isn't working at Scoops anymore, he gets a part-time job in a bakery alongside his hours at Family Video. And it's just because they needed staff and he wants the extra money, not because he has any particular interest in baking, but while he's working there he quickly discovers how much he loves it and how fascinated he is by baking and being able to make pretty, delicious things with his hands that make people happy. He learns how to make all different kinds of bread and pastries, graduating to making cakes for events and weddings and doing all the sugarcraft and experimenting with flavour profiles until the bakery's sales are booming and its reputation sky-rocketing and people are coming from neighbouring towns just to buy something. And people just can't believe that king Steve of all people has such a delicate hand and can make such exquisite things, but he does, and you just know all the kids would be in the bakery and that he'd treat them all the time because he loves them so much.

And maybe after a couple of years Steve becomes head baker or maybe he opens a little place of his own. Perhaps the latter, and the place is run-down and needs a lot of work, but it's *his* and that's what matters. Except he realises he has a rodent issue, and while he doesn't want to kill all the cute little mice running around and nesting in the walls, he needs them out if he wants to run a viable business and not be shut down. He gets a recommendation for a pest control company, and he calls and makes an appointment with a gruff older man who says he'll send his nephew out the following morning.

Cue Steve standing outside the bakery the next morning waiting for him to arrive when he hears a blare of hard rock music and sees a van speeding around the corner. He rolls his eyes, thinks it's some drunk hellion, but then realises, mouth agape, that it's the pest control company. His mouth drops even more when the van parks up, haphazardly outside the bakery, and when, instead of the gruff man he spoke to on the phone, it's Eddie the freak Munson who jumps out. Eddie Munson who he went to high school with and who rocks up in a band t-shirt and ripped jeans, and tattoos across his arms and chest. Who grins at Steve when he sees him, a cigarette in the corner of his mouth, and says, "Hey Harrington, I heard you've got a problem with some pesky little critters," and Steve's eyebrow arches up and he replies dryly, "That's right. But I wanted to get rid of them, not let even bigger ones in" and Eddie thinks that's so hilarious, he lets out this bark of laughter around his cigarette and Steve can't help but laugh too, his life is so weird.

(Eddie would collect all the mice inside the bakery and in return Steve would make him a strong coffee and a freshly baked croissant, and Eddie would be telling him the entire time how it's the best thing he's ever eaten, hands flying everywhere because he's so excited and expressive, and all the while Steve is trying not to flush at the praise and trying not to stare too hard at Eddie's tattoos or his black nails or how his wild dark hair is swept up in a loose bun with loose tendrils of it framing his strangely pretty face.)

#asks #steddie #this is such a cute idea tho omg thank u anon #eddie would be appalachian in this of course <3 #maybe this takes place in a timeline where the party defeat vecna and the upside down in season 2 or 3 #and so eddie lives and steve meets him after high school #and they can fall in looooove

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twpsyn-who · 2 years

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Thinking about Steve and Eddie waiting for the right time to propose to each other and they somehow do it at the same time.

And they don't know that the other wants to propose, nor do they tell the same people. Nancy and Jonathan know that Eddie wants to propose to Steve. Robin and Dustin know that Steve wants to propose to Eddie. The reason why Steve hasn't said anything to Nancy and Jonathan was because it felt a little bit weird to talk about it with your ex and her partner. On the other side Eddie KNEW neither Robin nor Dustin could keep a secret from Steve he didn't trust those two with the secret and Eddie really wanted to be special.

They chose the same place to propose, too - the Lover's Lake because that's where everything began and they wanted to give that day a good connotation. Steve and Dustin and Robin has worked hard for a character sheet for Steve ; it was literally Steve if everything they had gone through was part of a DnD campaign but with the difference that he was married to 'Eddie The Banished' (Steve planned to give the sheet to Eddie and wait until he got to the married part until he asked "If you would have me?" and get out the ring). Meanwhile Eddie and Nancy and Jonathan worked on this album full of photos with the party together over the years (the kids through high school + the graduation photos ; the photos from their trips around the state ; Steve with either Robin or Nancy and Jonathan or Eddie or the kids or the Byers or everyone ; little moments and random photos with caption like 'First time trying pineapple on pizza!!!' or 'First date without the kids around') with the last photo being of Steve and Eddie (the very first photo they took together) with the question "Will you marry me?" under it.

They looked over them at the same time. Stopped to fucking process what was going on. Look at each other like two idiots. They took the ring out at the same time and I don't know if they started laughing or crying or arguing over who would propose but I can guarantee the answer was yes from them both.

BONUS : Meanwhile Robin & Dustin meet with Nancy & Jonathan while hiding near the lake and they all do the Spider-Man meme while questioning each other what they were doing there. Everyone fucking face palmed when they came to the conclusion that those two were going to propose at the same time. Pure gold.

2 x BONUS : Somehow Max knew about it and said nothing because she thought it would be funny (and was 100% right)

#they would do that #idk were this came from nor do I know how DnD character sheets work but they ignored some of the rules anyway so is ok #I imagine them staying down on a blanket with the lake next to them and the moon their only source of light #Steve totally teared up a little while looking through the album #stranger things #stranger things eddie #eddie munson #stranger things steddie #stranger things steve #steddie #steve harrington #we are ignoring the fact that gay marriage probably wasn't legalized when this took place (I'm thinking Eddie's probably 27 and Steve 26)#they wanted to do it way earlier but weren't sure if it wasn't too soon #and we are ignoring the fact that Eddie should be dead. they won against Vecna and lived happily ever after #before anyone asks : yeah you can use this in your fic/write something with this idea #no need for credits but I would love to read it once it is done!!#also idk if somehow someone already did it I haven't looked it up

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missingexaltation · 1 year

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(Mini little fic idea, post Vecna)

Eddie wanted Steve and Wayne to get on, and at first, he was utterly ecstatic when they did.

But Steve starts to come over to watch various sports games, laughing and jostling with Wayne on the couch whenever one of their teams wins a point, or scores a goal or whatever, Eddie starts feeling inadequate and useless.

He watches from a distance, too wary to approach, too scared of upsetting the equilibrium. After all he's spent years rolling his eyes and grumbling about football and baseball and basketball to take a seat next to them now. He's more than made his bed now, years of sulky teenagehood in the making. It's not their fault, he knows. It's all his own, a drama of his own creation.

He watches as Wayne laughs and jokes, haphazardly waving his beer and cackling with delight, with the sort of son that he deserves. A son that brings calmness and stability instead of late night police escorts and a mountain of medical bills.

The empty, cavernous hole in his chest aches as he sits there (pretending to work on his campaign), through game after game, match after match. Wayne had given up so much for him. He could have had a family of his own, instead of raising his brother's useless, wretched kid. He could have gotten married, had a real home and an easy life. A beautiful, doting wife to give him the world.

Instead, Wayne had been cursed with a fuck up for a nephew, a shitty fold up bed in a shitty trailer and a job that was ageing him before his time. A vexing, frustration of a life that he didn't deserve. That Eddie had made worse by default.

Eddie knew he was selfish, and loud, and easily excitable and distracted. That he was used to getting his own way in these walls, barely noticing and sacrificing a thing while Wayne quietly suffered instead. It had been the same for his parents. They'd wanted a normal kid too, but even his dad's temper hadn't been enough to dampen his ability to irritate.

He'd tried to be quieter for Wayne in the past. Better behaved, his personality crammed into a tiny internal box to make himself more palatable, easier to love and want around. But Wayne had been offended by it. Claimed Eddie shouldn't have to change himself for anyone, not even his guardian, to be honest with who he is.

But looking over at them now, Eddie felt like he should have tried harder. Sure, 'being himself' was the fucking care bear motto spat out by well meaning adults trying to convince the weird kids they'd be ok. But he could have tried harder not to be so difficult, he could have watched Wayne's sports games with him and graduated high school and handed over his earnings instead of buying dumb shit.

The gnawing, desolate guilt consumed him. Steve was sweet, charming and polite, a parents dream (also...absolutely fucking gorgeous and the best sex Eddie had ever had, but that was besides the point). He could understand why Wayne has found it easy to befriend him, hell Eddie unquestionably loved the bones of him, but it put in sharp relief how Eddie just didn't measure up to the barest minimum standard, let alone what his uncle deserved.

So instead, he started taking on extra shifts at work, pulling as many as he could so that he could try and convince Wayne to drop his hours and start taking it easy. He kept the house tidy and even helped nurture the blossoming little something that was growing between Wayne and Claudia, spending more nights with Steve so that they could canoodle out of sight of Dustin's sullen glares.

He was exhausted, but it was worth it to see Wayne less on edge, back on the day shift since Eddie was finally picking up the slack. Now he had time for 'guy nights' with Steve, expanding to include Sinclair and the newly resurrected Chief Hop too.

"You're a good kid, Ed." Wayne told him one evening, and despite everything, Eddie was unprepared for the avalanche of emotions that it unlocked.

I'm not, I'm not, I'm not.

His brain chanted, automatically.

But I want to be.

#eddie munson #wayne munson #steddie #Wayne Munson/Claudia Henderson #munderson #?#Wadia? Clayne?#Eddie wanting his two favourite people to bond and then using it to self sabotage under his own insecurities #because what's more important? self expression or family?#inside he's an insecure little boy that thinks he's gotta be good to be loved...and he's starting to get scared he's not good enough #especially after the Vecna stuff...he feels like he has to make up for it all #(of course this all comes crumbling down when Wayne calls him out for being 'normal' but that's another story)#i wish we'd got more of the tiny little Munson family...just one scene where they interacted 😭#i kind of think they're a little bit dependent on each other...a solid family of two learning to add more people in #stranger things ficlet #unbeta'd we die like season 4 vol. 2's canon on this hellsite #(basically Eddie is not used to sharing Wayne and it unlocks The Fear in him)

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vic394 · 2 years

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Days like this --- Steddie

It’s a bit of a surprise for Eddie when Steve shows up at his trailer’s doorstep at 1am, clutching Eddie’s denim vest in his hands.

It’s a bit of a bigger surprise for Steve when, several hours later, he walks out of the trailer wearing that same vest on top of a Metallica t-shirt, the chill morning air drawing goosebumps on his arms.

Not that he’s complaining, he thinks as he enters his car, passing one hand through his completely disheveled hair and blushing slightly at the sight of his reddened lips in the rearview mirror.

There’s a reason he and Nancy eventually drifted apart after the first few weeks from the battle with Vecna. Steve just was not sure exactly what the reason was, at the time. Or, more accurately, who. And he cuts himself some slack for needing time to figure himself out. After all, developing a crush on another guy is kind of a first to him.

He turns on the car engine and can’t help a little annoyed groan when he realizes he barely has any spare time to make himself presentable before he has to pick up Robin for school.

Oh, she’s gonna love this.

Indeed, Robin does. While Steve’s overall messy appearance could have been justified by a quick encounter with any girl, his outfit gives him away before Robin has even jumped into the passenger seat.

---

It goes on for weeks that bleed into months. Meeting up at the trailer, sneaking through Steve’s empty house, stolen caresses by the poolside, kissing each other's moans quiet so Wayne won’t be able to hear them in the middle of the night.

Steve cannot get enough of it. He sees Eddie everywhere. He’s on the shelves of Family Video when Steve restocks the horror section, in all those spooky movies they’ve never watched because they were too busy tearing each other’s clothes off. He’s in the boys’ Hellfire Club shirt, the one Steve likes to sleep in when he stays the night at Eddie’s, even though he couldn’t yet be convinced to participate in the D&D sessions.

A passer-by is having a smoke on the other side of the road and all Steve can bring himself to think about is the lingering smell on Eddie’s skin of a cigarette after sex. A shiver runs down his spine as Steve starts walking faster, his head lowered to hide the flush on his cheeks that seems to be ever present, these days.

He is such a goner.

It’s the way Eddie’s features light up when he talks about his interests, with Steve trying to make sense of the obscure fantasy references, and he does put in the work, eventually understands what Mordor is. Eddie smiles his sweetest smile and his hands can’t stop moving, drawing maps in the air, acting out scenes and characters for Steve - who will barely follow despite his best efforts, Eddie being all over the place with his narrations. Eddie kisses him stupid and goes on about how cute Harrington is for even trying to keep up.

It's the genuine laughter that escapes Eddie when Steve gets all worked up because his music taste has never been so continuously and consistently criticized before and he’s all protective of Toto and Cindy Lauper and why won’t Eddie let him listen to anything lighter than Black Sabbath- that’s usually the part when Eddie starts getting defensive too because how dare Steve complain about Black Sabbath and they end up having the most pointless arguments, until suddenly Eddie is in Steve’s arms and looking at him in a way that makes Steve’s heart melt. And yeah, if having this means he’ll have to give up on his pop tunes, Steve is more than happy to make the sacrifice.

It’s the soft forehead kisses when Eddie bids him goodnight, wrapping himself around Steve and tickling his cheeks with long, unruly hair. Steve kisses Eddie’s bare chest and feels him smile in the moonlit bedroom. He turns around and lets Eddie spoon him, hands intertwined as chest presses against back, their bodies glued together as Steve wishes he could freeze this moment and live in it forever.

Away from every real-life problem the dawn will bring.

It’s almost comical how the smallest smile on Eddie’s lips has Steve’s heart flutter like he’s back to being 17 and hopelessly in love for the first time all over again.

The kind of puppy love that makes him want to do all the things Eddie would probably give him a lot of crap about; buy flowers and chocolates and rip off every movie cliché as he screams from the rooftops that his heart belongs to metalhead Eddie Munson.

It kills Steve to know that he can’t do that, can’t hold Eddie’s hand or kiss him in public or brag about how he has the single best boyfriend in the world. Because he’s seen how some small-town people can be a worse threat than anything the Upside Down has deployed against them.

So, he makes the best of what he has. Because after all, how could he care about what the rest of the world thinks when the only thing Steve needs is for Eddie to keep whispering his name like a prayer when they’re together.

And that’s why it happens over Chinese takeout instead of a table at Enzo’s, in front of a rented movie instead of the new cinema release, when Steve stops playing with Eddie’s hair and finally says it.

“I love you”

And Eddie turns towards him just enough for Steve to see his devilish smirk before he pulls him in for a kiss that leaves both of them breathless and still longing for more.

“I know ya do, big boy.”

---

A/N: because Eddie would 110% pull a Han Solo move on Steve.

I had so much fun writing this, it feels amazing to be writing again and explore a new fandom. I hope you enjoy!

Title inspired by this.

#eddie lives #and they all lived happily ever after #i'm doing this instead of therapy #steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #stranger things 4 #vecna #upside down #fix it fic #days like this #dermot kennedy #stranger things blurb #steddie blurb

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